Women aged 45 to 54 appear to have changed their drinking behaviour and more are drinking at "risky" levels, with the age group now ranked as a concern when it comes to alcohol consumption.

It is estimated more than one in three (36 per cent) drank alcohol that risked lifetime harm, according to the ACT Chief Health Officer's report released last week.

ACT Chief Health Officer Dr Paul Kelly was surprised by the finding.

"One of the things that was a surprise to me when we started to look at it was the increase in alcohol intake to dangerous levels in women in the middle age," he said. "That's something we need to think about."

But the drinking habits of middle-aged women are not the only concern, with young men between the ages of 18 and 34 considered problematic drinkers.

More than one in four (28 per cent) drank more than four standard alcohol beverages on a drinking day, while more than half had more than two standard drinks.

Alcohol continues to be a problem for Canberra's emergency departments, with the report revealing a rise in the number of people visiting the ED for alcohol-related reasons between 2010-11 and 2014-15.

There was a 33 per cent increase in people attending the ED because of "the toxic effect of alcohol" and a 37 per cent increase in injuries caused by alcohol in that period.

"Alcohol was responsible for the majority of hospitalisations and deaths related to drugs for people aged 15 to 34 years," the report said.

"Alcohol-related harm during or immediately after drinking was experienced disproportionately by younger people, while cumulative alcohol-related harm was more evident among older people."

"If you ask people working in the emergency department, they'll say this is an issue they're dealing with and it seems to be increasing," Dr Kelly said.

"It's difficult. We know what happens, why people are there – it's in relation to violence on the streets and all of those things, including domestic violence.

"I think it's a matter that we really need to look very closely at. Do we have the right mechanisms in relation to alcohol restriction? I think that's the main thing."

Canberra's Calvary Hospital is due to take part in a national pilot study that aims to reduce the cost of drugs and alcohol on society.

"I think when we think about alcohol and those matters, we think about those acute toxic effects and the injuries and so forth associated with young people," Dr Kelly said.

Assistant health minister Meegan Fitzharris agreed something needed to be done about excessive alcohol consumption.

"There are a number of ways we can do that through health promotion activities, encouraging people to drink less alcohol and also through other regulatory measures which the government has under consideration at the moment," she said.

Overall rates of drinking that risk lifetime harm have decreased for men but stayed constant for women, the report revealed.

The report also found that more than half of secondary school students have consumed alcohol at level which put them at risk of injury and about two in five consumed alcohol with the intention of getting drunk.